The Journey Starts... Episode 01.

This Post is the written version of the YouTube Video I released.

It Begins... My AWAF (Australian Wearable Art Festival) Creative Journey.

Please be gentle with me as this is my first time editing videos so we're going to have to take it slow... but I'm a quick learner so you can look forward to some action-packed videos once I get comfortable.

In this post we're going to share the AWAF photoshoot images and share an introduction to Me and this wearable art video series. This is because I want you all to feel super familiar and comfortable with me when we art together later!

So Let's Start the Journey...

It all started a long long time ago, in a land far far away... called Warragul in my Art Studio.... Which I renovated and designed myself. I'll make a fun show and tell of that nightmare project some other time... because gosh the 3 years of DRAMA!!! ;) But here's what it looks like now... Pretty Cool and Spacious <3

It's where I run my Workshops, work on Wearable Art and Create.

You can expect a LOT of Stuff from this Wearable Art Journey... Seriously, a LOT to Cover! There's so much involved in making a single piece, that I broke it into episodes and smaller videos.

To start with though, we are introducing me and starting with... My Model, About Me as a person and artist and ending with The Event Photo Reveal.

The EPIC Model... RASPUTIN! Checkout his Instagram @r.ass.putin

Rasputin is AMAZING... I can't even express how awesome and professional this performer is... Because he IS that good... one of the performances had a wardrobe malfunction and this epic dancer just went on with the show and no one in the audience clued on at all... talk about a save! So much to rave about for this model, that he's going to have a whole episode section dedicated to him... Something to look forward to because it has some super backstage images and progress shots with foam clay and... well other cool stuff.

So make sure to follow and get excited about all things Rassputin. He's amazing and CONSTANTLY doing amazing performances and events!

Eco-Conscious Choices, the Environment, The Butterfly and our Pride in our Communities 

The Message & My Personal fears and stresses. My Hopes and Dreams... Yes, I'll tell you all about what this vision of this performative art piece is all about.... Next Episode because I want to tell it right! So look forward to hearing about how it came to be. the designs and sketches created for this project and the reason why there are so many materials and processes in the making of one outfit. You'll get a look at the materials we will be using over the making videos and some of the sustainable re-usable materials too!

The Wearable Art Performance Piece

Next Episode we will be watching the Official Wearable Art Performance! The Video is awesome and is my first ever perfomance art piece, so I hope you love it! Look forward to it and Like and Subscribe so you don't miss out on seeing it!

The Making of Wearable Art

Starts with OHS in the Studio, obviously! This is so incredibly important especially when using vintage, unknown, untested or new materials. Always prioritize safety, especially in enclosed spaces.

The Why, Where, What and How... because artists, especially me, love symbolism and adding depth of meaning to every little detail. Essentially, it's the little details that you don't see at first, that make an artwork special and more sentimental or precious. When it comes to art, it's not just about a finished product, it's about the intention and the meaning that's NOT obvious at first glance.

Materials Used in THIS Artwork. We will go over all the different materials in this artwork... because there are just so many! with different leathers, recycled materials, eco fabrics and more, there's just no way to cover what, why and how in just one video. So, there will be a short summary about what Eco-leathers, Eco Fabrics, Recycled Materials and Re-purposed Materials used in this artwork.

Plus, A Fast Forward Clip of The Making of This Artwork… From Start to Finish! Includes: The Outfit. Closeups, Videos, Behind the scenes.

• Making It Material Short Videos. Each Material & How to Use It.

Included will be a series of super short Mini Info Videos!!! Because There's so many materials with such a lack of available information out there, that people avoid using these materials even though there are so many benefits. Since my wearable art project required SO many materials and testing moments, I've now got plenty of easy to digest information to share about each material. So each short video will focus on only one so that after watching them, you can confidently say which material you want to use for your own projects!

Different Eco-Leathers Tested

Will contain... Details About, How To Use Them, Sample Tests, Setting Results, Example of Processes, Best Tools, Best Machines & Difficulty.

Leather Materials explored are… Cactus, Pineapple, Olive, Cork, Coconut, Vintage, Calfskin & More.

Eco Fabrics Explored are… PET, Recycled Polyester, Vintage, Re-purposed and ReCycled.

Machines Tested With & Samples & Test Sheets… Xtool Diode Laser, Cricut, HandTools & Traditional Techniques.

Let's Make Some Wearable Art Together!

Yes, this is another set of videos that will follow the material info videos. Now that you know WHAT material options there are, as a fun way to introduce you to using them, I'll release my next wearable art project as a follow along how to video set. Each video will use a different technique and material to create a different part of some wearable art. So that you can experience the whole process and join in the fun with the free templates and parts that will accompany each video.

These will be fun and easy to do... also, don't worry if you can't do one of the how to videos because it uses a machine you don't have because you can use the template that accompanies it with a machine you DO have, whether that's a printer and hand tools, a Cricut or Silhouette or a diode laser machine like my Xtool. Each template works with all those options because I'll include the file as a JPEG, SVG, Illustrator .ai, Lightburn File, Cricut File & Xtool Creative Space File. I've planned to cover all my bases so that it's easy for ANY crafter with ANY studio setup to join in the fun! So get your scissors ready people!

• FREE Templates, Designs & Patterns. Hand Drawing, Digital composition and Testing.

• Laser Cutting & Engraving Tips & Tricks

• Cricut Template Stencils & Fun Hacks

• Hand Painting Leathers. Tips, Tricks, Techniques and Cheats.  

• Cotton Canvas. Make some crazy cool Fridge magnets, Accessories & learn about nontoxic sealants  

• Metal Hardware. Eyelets, Wires & Magnets, Getting it right.

About Me.  Literally About Me, My Art, Introducing Myself lol. My Personal Journey, Struggles and a tiny bit about my Health

Let's start with the Details... I'm obsessed with perfection and illustrative beauty, which is probably why I take so long to create one artwork... everything from the composition, the symbolism, the story and even the materials is carefully considered and precisely added. It takes a LOT of energy and time for me to create any artwork, because I don't believe in quantity, I believe in quality and because of this, every single artwork I create that isn't a subject study or life drawing, is made with the intention that it's its own little masterpiece. I create with the goal that the next thing I make will be considered a masterpiece by someone out there who appreciates the detail, time and symbolic meaning that goes into every brushstroke. In an idyllic future, I create something as iconic as Monet's Water Lillies so that people remember me when I'm gone through my art.

So ... Let's look at some of that art that has been made over the past 15 years....

If you aren't watching the video... here's a link to my gallery so you can explore the art there and my shop to view my creations.

Art | Michelle JK Arts

Shop | Michelle JK Arts

I know, that's a lot of random artistic tangents isn't it? I live on tangents and with too many ideas and passions I explore those tangents as an artist, maker, inventor and writer.... Speaking of writing, I've got quite a few novels in progress, which I'll finish one day, but for those of you who have seen my artworks in group exhibitions, you'll know that instead of blurbs or artwork introductions, whenever it's allowed or possible, I write short stories to accompany my artworks... Some of these short stories are published as anthologies with other very talented artists and writers, which is absolutely amazing to be part of!

Published 3 Short Stories…

•Winner of the Audio Arcadia Competition. Published with 7 other talented Short Story Writers.

•Finalist for GRIEVE, a Short Story Competition by the Hunters Writers Society. Published in 2016

•Spotlight Art Magazine, Published as a short story spread with the artwork Intertwined.

Now that you've seen my art, it wouldn't be an about me without my... FURBABIES!!!

Aren't they just the cutest? I'm a dog and a cat person, because really... aren't they just the cutest?!

Other random things to know about me are that...

• My hair changes... A LOT, it's usually blue and pink, but sometimes when the mood hits it's red and gold or raven black. The length is all different kinds of short every time I get it cut... but I used to be a really private person so I don't have many selfies, that being said, I'm trying to be ... less private and more open, so I guess I better practice my selfies and get comfortable in front of the camera since I plan to be making a lot of videos for all you amazing creatives! Of course, I'll apologize in advance about you having to see my often swollen face, thanks to my fun health issue, some days I'll look cuter than others! ;) but don't worry, hopefully the things you learn will make you forget all about the swollen face days, spelling errors or word loss.

• In my free time I read Manga, Watch K-Drama's while painting and Play Games whenever it's a bad day to distract myself from all the fun pain! These are my comfort escapes... along with super steamy erotic novels! Don't judge, because if you knew what my daily life was like you would never begrudge me the excape and natural pain releif a little fantasy can give you! Plus, I know you all have these or similar secret vices, but as I said, I'm trying to be more open and less private... All the naughty laid bare... oh wait, this is a PG video ;) LOL

  
  

  When I'm not Making, Creating, Playing Hooky in fantasy land or Teaching....

I won't be modest here... I'm an AMAZING cook, when there's no expectations of me... under pressure I cave and fail... Otherwise, I'm epic... perfect medium rare steaks every time, exact seasoning on the fish and epic saucy gluten free chicken breast burgers or pork burgers or fish steaks, or egg omelets with sweet chili melted into it... Yes, I am a meataterian and live for protein lol, Still... I only cook when in the mood though, I am not the housewife type, cooking and cleaning everyday would wither my soul...

But, I adore the occasional Baking & Cooking of weird but amazing soup potions... I often feel like a fantasy witch brewing trouble at my cauldron when I put my giant soup pot on and randomly throw herbs and spices and plants in until it bubbles and smells mouthwatering... It's usually crazy healthy, filled with things spices and forest mushrooms... but only the edible kind! The soups are healthy because every good witch knows that balance is the most important ingredient to a good spell and life. It's to balance out the enormous amount of sugar and butter that goes into making deliciously tasty gluten free cakes and caramel slices... I actually bake my own unique seasonal recipes of caramel slice that I invented... If people comment they want to make slice with me in the future, We might do a live baking event where each season we do another caramel slice recipe... There's a jam donut caramel slice, moist coconut crumble caramel slice with snow topping, a christmas ginger and cinamon caramel slice and a NOT gluten Free, but epic and worth the gluten asthma attack, Molten Lava Caramel malteser Slice....

Why I'm making these Videos from Now On...

I used to be a teacher so hopefully that means you'll find these videos a really fun educational learning experience... that's also a ton of fun. I'll teach you everything I know, and won't keep any secrets because I just don't see the point of not sharing the things I've learnt from my own experiences and experimental uh... accidents. I teach myself how to do most things through trial and error, so there's a lot of happy accidents, fires and no no's that you shouldn't try at home, because I've done it and advise against it!

Why am I sharing my secrets techniques, trials and experimented discoveries for free and not selling the info as a book or in patreon for subscribers only? Lot's of reasons... Firstly, I'm not the greatest at self marketing and social media so I've been living in the void of anonymity as a fairly undiscovered artist that just spontaneously appears in exhibitions and festivals and markets, so my outreach levels are limited, which means not many people would find my book and lessons. A more important reason is, that as an artist who does work in mixed media, I've always hated those click bait videos artists make where they tease and say they'll share all their secrets and tips and tricks, then 40 minutes of video later as after they tease you with their art and videos of them closeup doing things without telling you anything of substance before saying, to find out how I do that go to my lessons or book for only $15.99... Seriously, they wasted 40 minutes of my time, to then say no, I'm not telling you anything unless you pay for it. I don't mind paying for educational materials, but I despise the way they waste your time BEFORE telling you how much and where. It's just so annoying, if you're going to talk about nothing for that much time, I could have spent that 40 minutes researching the technique and testing materials until I figure it out myself while spending that money on actual art supplies... I really wish the ideal world existed where all artists collaborated and shared their knowledge freely and without so much secrecy so you didn't have to filter through so much waffle to find the few amazing artists who do share openly and honestly, because they are out there and are amazing! So, it would be great if we could ALL create a collaborative learning experience where we share our hard trialed and tested experiments openly. Imagine what amazing artwork we could create that way. Of course, if people love my content it would absolutely be amazing if you could like, subscribe and share my upcoming videos... or if you're not scraping by like me, become my art patron and donate to support me making more videos...

Which brings me to the final and most important reason I'm trying to put what I've learnt into free videos... I had to stop teaching due to health reasons, it's a long sordid tale, so I won't go into the details of it here, but my everyday life is plagued with a barrage of symptoms which, if I didn't have my art holding me together, would have done me in by now. After 5 years of no relief and no answers, I've resigned myself that this is my reality and it's now limited thanks to the symptoms I struggle with. Unable to responsibly teach a full day, I now run a once a month homeschool class and workshops (which you can book through my website for parties, hens nights and events in or out of the studio) on the few good days and hours I have a month. I've had to give up dreaming of a massive solo exhibition because all my savings were sunk into just getting by and paying bills and medical stuff. Also, I can't physically finish the large paintings I envisioned in that exhibition as it now takes an incredible amount of energy I don't have to paint those larger artworks as they can be physically intensive. Now, my original artwork is even more sentimentally precious to me BECAUSE I can only create 3 or less large projects a year. So, I can't use the skills, the techniques and ideas I have accumulated through years of mixed media research to create enough work to make a splash in my solo exhibition. I don't want all those years of work, research and techniques to just vanish if my health does decline further. I want other artists to be able to use what I've learnt and create their own magical and surprising creations using some of my knowledge because they will have the physical skill and ability to really utilize what I share. So I guess, the main reason is brought about by the pesimistic side of me that's terrified that I'll die or worse, become mentally unable to share or understand or remember the art, teaching and knowledge I've spent my life pursuing. If I forget, maybe my shared videos will let me remember and if I'm unable to survive my symptoms, maybe these videos will let you all remember me. Either way, I hope what you see and learn in the videos that follow this one are things that amaze, excite and inspire you and that when you're an amazing success because of your own creative genius, you remember me fondly as someone who inspired or gave you a little knowledge or push in the right direction, like any epic teacher would. It's also my way of leaving a positive eco footprint on the world by encouraging others to use sustainable materials and recycled mixed media items, I want to leave the world a better place one day.

Anyway, that's why I'm making this wearable art learning journey and all my future videos free on youtube and I'm not keeping any secrets or tips and tricks to myself. I'm so excited to see the amazing things you create yourselves from what I teach, because having the skills makes creating limitless and these are all skills ANYONE can learn to use with ease!

Hopefully now I won’t feel like such a stranger when we

Art Together in the Near Future!!!

I can’t wait to share more creative fun with you all!

Now let's get to the fun stuff you've all been waiting for!!!

The Wearable Art Photoshoot Reveal!

These first photos were taken by me before the event in my art studio... There's no makeup and accessories, and at the time, there was no fabric yet, so they're closeup photos of the back of the outfit (And what a nice back it is! Such solid shoulder frame that beautifully lets the back of the top frame those shoulders like wings!)

Fun fact, this was before the design was finalized so, we actually swapped the chainmail for black satin ribbon so that the design was more striking when the chainmail cape was unfurled.

I've included some closeups too so you can see the leather hand painted details up close. Just ignore the fact that my studio was freezing cold during the shoot so you can see that poor Rassputin had goosebumps! Still, he never complained once about the cold, such a resilient man!

So looking at this closeup of just the top shoulder leather piece, you can see the painting of the design is ever so slightly imperfect. That's because it's painted using a Cricut stencil to block in the color on very bumpy and textured leather grain that is then freehand painted with black paint to give it that bold beautiful butterfly wing design. This can be a time-consuming process that requires patience, accuracy and a steady hand... but its traditional application makes it a great way to stay OHS safe when using materials of unknown origin. This particular part of the outfit is made using recycled old motorcycle leather pants that were tossed away by someone. After treating the leather, priming and painting it, it looks brand new and luxurious again! You can't even tell it's from someone's trash ;) Another person's trash is an artist's treasure.... plus, free art supplies are always appreciated! Re-Use and Recycle, there's so many upsides!

In this back closup image if you look VERY Closely at the two leather sections you can see that the leather grain on them is slightly different.

The top leather part is made from genuine recycled motorcycle pant leather that is hand painted in a freehand technique. The leather itself has a more textured leather grain surface and while you can't see it in the picture, it is a little thicker and more rigid.

The lower leather part is actually made from grape eco leather and its surface is less textured and smoother. It was made by laser engraving the pattern into the eco leather and then painting it in. Which is a lot of fun and I can't wait to show you how to do! I'm also super excited to teach you all about grape leather too. It's a soft and luxurious feeling material that really allows for some detailed delicate work!

Now some close up images of the canvas butterflies, the chainmaile and other materials that went into this project...

Canvas Butterflies, Chainmaile, Suede Eco Fabric & Eco Leather!

The colourful butterflies are made from cotton canvas and archival inks and shaped using wires, magnets and sealants, which we will be doing in one of the videos where I teach you how to make your very own fridge magnet!

You don't need any special tools or machines to make them, just your printer, the materials, scissors and a paintbrush! Good old-fashioned arts and crafts!

There's 3 different sized chainmail parts used in this project and let me tell you, it's harder to make chainmail than you think, until you get into the groove, which makes you wonder why it was so tricky to start with!

The off white colored fabric is actually a recycled polyester fabric so that we don't add to the landfills! I've ordered the fabric in a beautiful dark red for the how to videos so that it's easier to see the laser cutting and cricut cutting on the design as we do the how to's. It's a very thin and flowy material so it's perfect for more traditional scalpel work, cricut machines and laser machines as well. Very versatile for fine detail cutting. But each requires a different process and finishing.

The leather featured in these material shots is another eco-leather made from cactus leather!

I can't wait to share the video on this cactus leather that's so versatile and SAFE to use in so many different ways. I'm really excited about teaching you all about this leather... It's going to be used in so many future projects! I mean, look at how beautifully it holds the paint and how it allows for the paint to be layered so that it's extra vibrant. These crisp lines and edges are only possible with some eco leathers, so I'm very pleased with how consistently this one performs! Such a great new material for artists!

This picture features the fingerless glove that's painted freehand with no stencils, guidelines or machine assistance. This leather section was done entirely as a pro artist who has thousands of hours of painting experience can, it's a time-consuming process that requires patience, accuracy and a steady hand... but if you have the skills, it's a great way to stay OHS safe when using leathers that don't have the list of chemicals they're treated with.

Remember always use PRODUCE leather as it's more eco-conscious and reduces the amount of produce animal hides that go to landfill.

Closup of the Fingerless Gloves Freehand Painting... How pretty and precise it is!

Now, The Photos from the event

Thanks to the amazing Colin McLellan, we have these beautiful photos of Rassputin. The hair and make-up was done by Fran Blandon and her team who really just completed the look just as I imagined!

Instead of talking about these peices, on the youtube video I'm just going to play one of three of the copyright free songs I used to create my music score for the performance which I'll show you next time.

Aren't these official photos by Collin amazing? Crazy cool what he can do in just 15 minutes with a camera! Rassputin looks just AMAZING!

I really hope you enjoyed this introduction to me and the project video, I'm looking forward to sharing so much more with you all, because there IS so much to share!

So don't forget to like and subscribe so that you don't miss out on the journey that's to come.

Next Up in Episode 02… 

About the AWAF, Model, The Message, the Idea &

The Official Performance Video!!!

Plus, We will also take a look at some of the other amazing talents from the festival!

So much epicness, not enough time... and we haven't even gotten around to the crafting yet!

Ps. I hope you enjoyed my very first ever video... I tried my best :) Like and Subscribe so you can see that performance art video and watch my video editing skills level up!